GOTTA READ THIS: Wolfowitz Shares Special Forces' Afghanistan Dispatches

Jim Garamone ^ | 11/15/01 | Jim Garamone

[Diogenesis]

Wolfowitz Shares Special Forces' Afghanistan Dispatches
just released by the American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2001 -- The Northern Alliance and other opposition groups have made tremendous progress in Afghanistan -- last week, they controlled
about 15 percent of the country and today control about half.

Defense officials said U.S. air support was pivotal in the battle. In his after-dinner keynote address at the Fletcher Conference here Nov. 14, Deputy Defense
Secretary Paul Wolfowitz spread the credit among all those participating.

The Fletcher Conference is jointly sponsored by the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis and the Army. The theme this year is "National Security for a New Era."

"Success in this campaign has come not just from our remarkable ability to fly bombers from bases in Missouri halfway around the world to strike targets with great
precision," he said. "Success has also come from putting extraordinarily brave men on the ground so they could direct that air power and make it truly effective."

Wolfowitz read to the audience the contents of two situation reports U.S. Special Forces soldiers sent from Afghanistan. The dispatches testify to the role the men
have played and will play in the campaign in Afghanistan, he said. Wolfowitz said he removed all classified information before sharing these dispatches.

The first is dated Oct. 25:
"I am advising a man on how to best employ light infantry and horse cavalry in the attack against Taliban T-55s (tanks) ... mortars, artillery, personnel
carriers and machine guns -- a tactic which I think became outdated with the introduction of the Gatling gun. (The Mujahadeen) have done this every day
we have been on the ground. They have attacked with 10 rounds AK's per man, with PK gunners (snipers) having less than 100 rounds ... little water and
less food. I have observed a PK gunner who walked 10-plus miles to get to the fight, who was proud to show me his artificial right leg from the knee
down. ...

"We have witnessed the horse cavalry bounding overwatch from spur to spur to attack Taliban strong points -- the last several kilometers under mortar,
artillery ... and PK fire. There is little medical care if injured, only a donkey ride to the aid station, which is a dirt hut. I think (the Mujahadeen) are doing
very well with what they have. They have killed over 125 Taliban ... while losing only eight.

"We couldn't do what we are (doing) without the close air support. ... Everywhere I go the civilians and Mujahadeen soldiers are always telling me they are
glad the USA has come. ... They all speak of their hopes for a better Afghanistan once the Taliban are gone. Better go. (The local commander) is finishing
his phone call with (someone back in the States)."

Wolfowitz said the soldier then went off and joined a cavalry attack on a Taliban position.

The second dispatch is dated Nov. 10:

"Departed position from which I spoke to you last night ... (We left) on horse and linked up with the remainder of (the element). I had meeting with (the
commander). ... We then departed from our initial linkup location and rode into Mazar-e Sharif on begged, borrowed and confiscated transportation.

"While it looked like a rag-tag procession, the morale into Mazar-e Sharif was a triumphal procession. All locals loudly greeted us and thanked all
Americans. Much waving, cheering and clapping even from the women. ... USN/USAF did a great job.

"I am very proud of these men who have performed exceptionally well under very extreme conditions. I have personally witnessed heroism under fire by
(two U.S. NCOs - - one Army, one Air Force) when we came under fire last night, which was less than 50 meters from me. When I ordered them to call
close air support, they did so immediately without flinching even though they were under ... fire. As you know, a (U.S. element) was nearly overrun four
days ago and continued to call close air support and ensured (Mujahadeen) forces did not suffer a defeat. These two examples are typical of the
performance of your soldiers and airmen. Truly uncommon valor has been a common virtue amongst these men."

[onehipdad]

Candi- Strongly suggest you read Taliban by Ahmed Rashid, available in ppbk from B&N for 14.95. Author is Pakistani reporter who has covered Afghanistan for over twenty years. Not a long book but enlightening in its portrayal of not only the tribes but ethnic roots (Persian, Arab, Indian, Mongol). Fascinating read..

[onehipdad]

Re: Teddy - If he could join the fight of any battle we've fought since his day, by Godfrey I'd wager he'd pick this one..

[austingirl]

Thanks for the great post.

[archy]

From those I've known who've worked in that part of the world, they'll use the 7,62x53r caliber [roughly equal to the old US .30-06, but a rimmed cartridge like the British MkVII .303 or the US .30-40 of the Spanish-American War period] SVD sniper's rifle and PK machineguns [PKS if on tripod or stankovi, PKT for Tankisti tankers' use] by daytime when the ranges are likely to be longer, saving the AKs and RPKs for nighttime engagements where the political discussions take place closer up and more personal.

And, of course, it's the experienced fighters and NCOs who gravitate to the longer-range more specialized weapons, which require more than a rookies attention and for whom an AK is a better and simpler item of issue- particularly for those nighttime situations. It's a good bet that that snakeeater advisor helping those guys by pointing the air support the right way is a heavy weapons NCO....

I seem to recall T.E. Lawrence making the point that it is better that they should do a thing imperfectly, than that you should do it for them perfectly... But directing close air support can be partricularly costly if done inexpertly, even if the locals are fast learners.

You reckon those folks are using the killdots against the bad guys?

-archy-/-

[Enlightiator]

Great read, great post!

[archy]

The old Russian sniper rifle is the M1891 Moisin-Nagant; the current issue sniper piece is the Dragunov SVD.

Not quite. Since 1994, the SVDS has been the Army standard rifle, with a folding buttstock the most noticable difference, but a few other improvements to be found as well. The SVD remains in widespread use by second-line and reserve units, of course, and in most of the former Soviet Bloc nations.

And many of the Finnish Army troops using the SVD are fond of them, though many also prefer the slightly better range and accuracy of the long-range bolt-action rifles- including the old 1891-designed pystykorvaa Mosin-Nagants.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

Just wondering, has this been translated into Arabic to provide the mandatory future nightmares for one Sadamn Insane? Bet he looks forward to months of this.....

[Yankee]

"These two examples are typical of the performance of your soldiers and airmen.
Truly uncommon valor has been a common virtue amongst these men."

Gulp. Lump in the throat time for me.

God bless our servicemen, God bless our Commander In Chief and God bless America!

"We have witnessed the horse cavalry bounding overwatch from spur to spur to attack Taliban strong points -- the last several kilometers under mortar, artillery ... and PK fire. There is little medical care if injured, only a donkey ride to the aid station, which is a dirt hut. I think (the Mujahadeen) are doing very well with what they have. They have killed over 125 Taliban ... while losing only eight.

These guys are no slouches either. Anyone that thought they got a free pass to Kabul from the B-52 strikes and Daisy Cutters, had better read this paragraph again.

[Faraday]

Thanks, a real confidence booster. Heroism and liberation--it doesn't get any better.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

I didn't even realize that Afghans weren't Arabs. Now for a really dumb question...What are Arabs? I'm trying to figure it out by asking Jeeves and such, but I'm still not clear. According to one definition, they are inhabitants of Arabia. The definition of Arabia is "A peninsula of southwest Asia between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Politically, it includes Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. ". Well, that means that Iraquis and Iranians aren't Arabic. I thought they were ALL Arabs over there (except for the Israelis!). So, are there more Moslems over there than there are Arabs? And when I see someone with a turban on his head, should I assume he is a Moslem, but not necessarily an Arab? Or is the turban an Arab thing?

I'll hit Post Reply now and wait for you all to make fun of me!

Candi

[Scott from the Left Coast]

A really great read, thanks for another magnificent post.

[Southack]

"So, are there more Moslems over there than there are Arabs? And when I see someone with a turban on his head, should I assume he is a Moslem, but not necessarily an Arab? Or is the turban an Arab thing?"

Sikh's wear turbans, too, so not all people who wear turbans are Arabs (or Muslims). A large part of Africa is Islamic as well, yet Africans aren't generally considered to be Arabs. Moreover, not all Arabs are Muslims. Some are druise and others are Christian. Confused yet? Don't worry, so are they.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I do not know the precise definition, but it relates to the nomadic peoples that came from the Arabian peninsula. (I've seen it discussed here on FR before).

The general term "Arabians" includes the Saudis (they hate being called that, by the way), Yemenis, Omanis, Kuwaitis, Iraqis (some Iraqis) and those from some of the smaller Gulf states like Bahrain and Qatar. It most definitely does not include Iranians, Palestinians (Jordan), Syrians or Egyptians.

Some of the peoples of Iraq are of Persian, Kurd, Turk or Palestinian descent, but quite a large number are also Arabs.

People won't make any more fun of you than they do of me, because I probably got some of this wrong!

[Apollo]

Over 350 million people live in the Middle East. The Middle East includes the states of:

•Egypt • Saudi Arabia • Yemen • Oman • United Arab Emirates (UAE) •Qatar • Bahrain • Kuwait • Iran • Iraq •Syria •Turkey •Lebanon •Jordan •Israel

It is important to note that at this time there is no state of Palestine--only territories (the Gaza Strip and portions of the West Bank) within the Middle East that are controlled by the Palestinian National Authority.

The peoples of the Middle East can be differentiated on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, and national identity.

Ethnicity

Arabs constitute the majority ethnic group in all of the Middle East states except Iran, Israel, and Turkey (see political map):

Originally, the term "Arab" referred to the peoples that inhabited the northern and central portions of the Arabian Peninsula. Following the spread of various Arab-Islamic empires throughout the Middle East and into Europe and south Asia, the term "Arab" has come to be synonymous with those who speak Arabic. Presently, about 60% of the total population in the Middle East speak Arabic and consider themselves to be an Arab.

In addition to Arabs, there are a number of other ethnic groups in the Middle East, including Jews, Turks, Persians, and Kurds

Religion

In addition to ethnicity, the peoples of the Middle East are differentiated by their religion. Most of the people in the Middle East practice Islam. They are referred to as Muslims. Islam is the dominant religion in all of the Middle Eastern states except Israel and Palestinian areas.

According to the list of states, the Middle East is almost uniformly populated by Muslims. However, this apparent uniformity of religion masks a number of important distinctions. For instance, there are a number of different sects within Islam. Most people in the Middle East belong to the Sunni sect of Islam.

Another sect, Shiite or Shia Islam, is the majority religion in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain. There are also Shiite minorities in Lebanon, Kuwait, and Yemen.

Other smaller sects also exist within Islam. These sects include, among others, the Alawites, the Druze, the Ibadis, the Ismailis, the Shafis, and various Sufi orders.

Islam is practiced in other countries besides the Middle Eastern states listed above. Over the centuries Islam spread far and wide, through Asia and Africa, and even to parts of Europe. This spreading of Islam has resulted in Islam becoming the dominant religion in non-Middle Eastern states such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia. There are also large numbers of Muslims in the Philippines, China, the former Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, parts of Europe, and even the United States. In fact, more Muslims live outside the Middle East than within.

In addition to Islam, other religions are practiced in the Middle East. For example, in Israel 82% of the population are Jews who practice Judaism. Israel the only state in the Middle East where Islam is not the majority faith. Christianity is also practiced in the region, especially in such states as Lebanon, Egypt, and Israel.

National Identity

The peoples of the Middle East are differentiated by their national identity (such as people who live in Syria are Syrian, people who live in Iran are Iranian, etc.). While ethnic and religious identities are important in the Middle East, people often have a strong sense of nationalism (a strong attachment to the state) that is connected to their national identity. These individuals often place more emphasis on their country of origin than their ethnic or religious background.

[Snow Bunny]

This is so good, thank you so much.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

Thanks, everyone. I guess I didn't ask a dumb/easy question. I love FR! It's a wealth of information!

[Yankee]

Arab

Any of the Semitic (see Semite) people native to the Arabian peninsula, but now settled throughout North Africa and the nations of the Middle East.

The homeland of the Arabs comprises Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Predominantly Arab nations also include Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, and the North African Arab nations comprise Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan, though the last-named has substantial non-Arab minorities. Although Mauritania and Somalia are not predominantly Arab, they support the Arab League.

The term Arab was first recorded 853 BC but was not widely used until the end of the 6th century AD. The 7th century saw the rise of Islam and by the 8th century non-Arab converts were being assimilated by the Arabs. Arabic became the principal language of the Arab Empire. In 1258 the empire was broken up by the Mongols and it was not until the decline of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I that the Arab nations emerged again as separate, if not independent, states.

I found that here: The Hutchinson Family Encyclopedia

Now to further confuse matters, here's a question from me:

If Arabs are Semitic people just as the Jews are, then why is it that the term anti-Semite has come to mean only those who persecute Jews, even the Semitic Arabs?

Anyone?

[GVnana]

Great post!

The more I see of these people the more I respect and admire them. I wonder if they have any idea that we rejoice in their freedom?

[JDGreen123]

Here is a great link on Understanding Turbans that covers many different groups that wear turbans. Great graphics.

Understanding Turbans